UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India - Part 1

India stands in the world's 7th position in the number of UNESCO World heritage site. UNESCO has recognized 32 Indian locations as world heritage sites. In a country of rich and diverse culture, it is not surprising. This article introduces UNESCO world heritage sites in India.

Kasiranga
national park is the home of worlds 2/3rd of Rhino population. It is
locate in Assam - a north eastern Indian state. Apart from the one
horned Rhino, Kaziranga is bio diversity region with large population of
wild animals like elephants, deer, buffalo, boar and a wide variety of
birds.

The
flora of the Kasiranga national park is equally rich including
different terrains like grasslands, woods, tropical and semi-evergreen
forests. The national park extends up to an area of 430 square
kilometers.

Kaziranga
national park was the brain child of Madam Mary Curzon wife of British
Indian Viceroy Lord Curzon of Kedlesto. Madam Mary Curzon visited the
area near 1908 and was alarmed by the diminished number of one horned
Rhinos. She prompted her husband - the viceroy Lord Curzon - to take
action to protect Kaziranga. Kasiranga is located on the banks of the
river Brahmaputra and constantly in threat of floods.
Kaziranga national park was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in India in 1985 considering the
bio diversity and formation of complex habitats of Kaziranga national
park.

2 Taj Mahal - one of the first UNESCO world heritage sites in India

No introduction needed for this white marble marvel built by
Mughal king Shah Jahan. It was built in 1632 on the bank of River
Yamuna. While there is a lot written and said about the beauty of its
architecture, however only a few know about the huge cost incurred by
the Mughal dynasty. At the time of construction it costed a whopping 32
million Indian rupees. If adjusted to inflation, the current cost would
be 52 billion Indian rupees (5200 crores).

Historians are of the opinion
that it burnt a huge hole in the Mughal Treasury. Also there is an
urban legend says Shah Jahan planned an identical black Taj on the
opposite side of Yamuna symmetrical to the white Taj. However he could
not finish it as his son Aurangzeb overthrew and imprisoned Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in India in 1983.

3 Mahabodhi Temple - Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya is a sacred place for Buddhists and also a very
popular pilgrimage site. It also attracts flocks of art and history lovers.
Bodh Gaya is the place where Sri Buddha had his enlightenment. Mahabodhi Temple is
located at this place near Patna in Bihar. The original Mahabodhi Temple is believed to be built by none other Emperor Ashoka the Great. It was after the
legendary Kalinga war that Ashoka realized the worthlessness of worldly wealth
and repented for the blood shed caused by him. Soon he converted into Buddhism.

It was
in 3rd century BC. Later it was rebuilt by Gupta empire during 5th and 6th
century AD. It is the oldest surviving brick monument in India. It is quite unique in
it's construction as compared to the stone monuments of India. It is indeed a
wonder that how such a brick construction still survives without much of
deterioration. The sacred Bodhi tree in the temple compound is believed to be the descendant of the very Bodhi tree under which Buddha had his enlightenment. Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh gaya was declared as a UNESCO world heritage
site in India in 2002.

4 Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best examples of Mughal
architecture in India. It is indeed a walled city built by Emperor Akbar circa
1569. Fatehpur Sikri served as the capital of Mughal empire from 1571 to 1585. It was
designed as a complete township including palaces, audience halls, women
quarters(Zenana), courts and mosques.

It is situated near present day UttarPradesh, near Agra. The
imperial city was abandoned in 1585 due to a quite unfortunate reason. The spring
that watered the entire city was dried up! Most of the architectural and historical
marvels associated with Fatehpur Sikri are still intact. It include a gigantic
entrance gate named "Buland Darwaza".

Fatehpur
Sikri also contains a monument which all Indians can personally relate to. It
is the "Birbal's house". Every Indian kid grows up hearing the folklore of the
intelligent Birbal! Birbal was the favorite minister of Akbar.

The
architecture of Fatehpur Sikri has a lot of Persian influence as Akbar wanted to recreate the splendor of his ancestor Timur. UNESCO declared Fatehpur Sikri as a world heritage site
in 1986.

5 Agra Fort

Agra Fort is popularly known as a Mughal creation is in fact
an old monument erected in 11th century AD and later ruled by Rajaput king Raja
Badal Singh during 1475. Initially it was a humble brick fort named
"Badalgarh". Agra fort has an eventful historical background. It was
transferred from one dynasty to other and plays an important role in the legendary Panipat battles.
According to the oldest available account of Agra fort, it is said that it was
captured in 1080 AD by Gaznavid force.

Later it was captured by Sikander Lodhi and transferred to
his sone Ibrahim Lodhi. Ibrahim Lodhi created many palaces, step wells and a
mosque inside the fort.

Later when Lodhi was defeated in the 1st Panipat battle,
Babur captured it in 1526. It marked the entry of the Mughals into the fort.
Later the Hindu King Hema Chandar Vikramaditya, popularly known as Hemu captured the fort from
Hyumayun. But later in the second Panipat battle, Akbar recaptured the fort
from Hemu. After the Mughal decline, the fort was passed to Marathas and then onto
English. It is the brief history of Agra Fort. Initially, most of the
constructions inside the fort wasred brick ones, it was Shah Jahan who created the iconic
white marble palaces inside the fort. He also struck down some of the older
constructions to make way for his new ones.

Today hardly 30 out of the numerous old
monuments are intact. Agra fort is also known as the "Red Fort of
Agra" - However it is not same as the Red Fort in Delhi. The major monuments with in the Agra Fort are :
Jahangir Palace, Khas-Mahal, Diwan-I-Am and 2 beautiful mosques.

There are also some rock painting specimen that are 30,000 years old. These rock painting pertain to different time periods. Some of them are the oldest in the world. Bhimbetka is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. This heritage site of immense archeological importance was found in the year 1888. Initially it was believed to be a Buddhist site. However, it was in 1957 it was discovered as a pre-historic rock shelter. The paintings include green and red images of huge bison, languors and Rhinos.

The oldest among them are from paleolithic period. One interesting
fact about these paintings are it shows the first glimpses of community
dancing in homo sapiens. Also these historical relics shows human
figures carrying different types of weapons. Bhimbetka is no doubt one of the most important heritage sites in
India, which was included in UNESCO world heritage sites in India in the year 2003.
Bhimbetka name means the sitting place of Bhima ( A legendary character
from Indian epic Mahabharata also worshiped in India)

7 Ajanta Caves

Ajanta caves are
located near the Jalgaon city of Aurangabad district in India. Ajanta caves were
buried under the dense forest, until 1819 when a troop of British officers-out
for hunting- stumbled upon this marvelous construction. These rugged caves
revealed to the world, the master pieces of Buddhist religious art. These
caves were believed to be used as a Buddhist monastery. Its construction
dates back to as early as 2nd century BC.

There is so much more to the plain looking
rock caves which includes the elaborate Chaitya-Grihas (Buddhist prayer halls) , Stupas (A central dome shaped structure which was the center of adoration),
spacious Viharas (living halls), huge
sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Taras. Perhaps
the most
iconic image of Ajanta caves is the delicate yet, complex paintings of
Vajrapani, and Padmapani – the compassionate Bodhisattvas in cave number
1.

caves of Ajanta are
sequentially numbered from one to thirty. However, the construction period of
these caves vary greatly. In fact, Ajanta was built in two phases which are
around 600 years apart! The first phase
began in 2nd Century BC during the times of Satavahana dynasty.The second phase of active construction in
Ajanta began in 500 AD. It was under the patronage of the great emperor
Harisena of the Vakataka dynasty.

One of the main heritage signs that Portuguese left behind
in Goa are the majestic churches. They are not just the places of worship; they
are significant icons of Goan culture and architecture. Most of the Goan
churches are made in the Baroque architecture style and the most famous among
them is the 400 year old "Basilica of Bom Jesus" in old Goa. The Basilica is very vast with
multiple altars and huge columns rising up till the ceiling.UNESCO declared the churches of Goa as a world heritage site in India in 1986

Around half a kilometer from the Basilica
of Bom Jesus, “Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina” Also known as the “Sé Cathedral”
is situated. Sé Cathedral is the largest church in India. The construction of Sé
Cathedral started in the year 1510. It originally had two
towers on the either side. The one in right side collapsed in the year 1776 and
was never rebuilt.

Se Cathedral - Old Goa

Next to the “Se Cathedral” there is a small chapel situated
in a beautiful garden. It is known as the Chapel of St. Catherin. This humble
chapel has a great history behind it. It was the first religious structure
built in old Goa in the year 1510 by Alfonso De Albuquerque to mark his entry
into the old Goa city, defeating the Adil Shahi ruler of the old Goa.

Our Lady church - Panaji, Goa

Another church which is a must see is the “Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception Church”. It was built in the year of 1540 and stands
right in the middle of the Panjim city. Its pure white color, the crisscross
stairs and the bell tower on the top makes this church quite picturesque. It is
a famous icon of Goa, which has made appearance in many movies including the
famous “Josh”.

8 Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram is an ancient town and seaport in the
Coromandel Coast, locate at 56km from Chennai. Mahabalipuram is also known as Mamallapuram after the great Pallava
King Narasimhavarman Mamalla I. In some ancient scriptures, Mahabalipuram is
also referred as the “Kadal-Mallai Thalasayanam” which roughly translates to the city that lies
near the ocean and the hills. The history of Mahabalipuram from 6th century AD
is very well documented. Majority of the sculptures and temples in
Mahabalipuram is attributed to the great Pallava dynasty starting with
Simhavishnu.

They are rich in life size carvings of Hindu deities. Another important relic in Mahabalipuram is the Monolithic Stone Chariots. These are artistic marvels carved out of single rock. There are 5 chariots. Shore temple in Mahabalipuram is also of great interest. Folklore says that the there were 7 temples in Mahabalipuram which were engulfed by sea due to a Tsunami. Ancient Europeans called them the 7 pagodas. UNESCO declared the churches of Goa as a world heritage site in 1984.

Descent of Ganges - Bas Relief Mahabalipuram

9 Jantar Mantar - Jaipur

Jantar Mantar is located in the heart of Jaipur city in Rajasthan. Maharaja
Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur built Jantar Mantar in Jaipur between 1727 and
1734. Being a keen astronomer himself, Maharaja Jaisingh II has built many astronomical observatories.

Jantar Mantar - Jaipur

The most elaborate one
is situated at Jaipur city. The name Jantar Mantar translates to “Instruments
for Calculation” and it consists of several instruments for the calculation of
time and to ascertain the position of celestial bodies and sun.

Jantar Mantar Observatory - Jaipur

Considering the fact that Jantar
Mantar is an excellent example of masonry of astronomical instruments which
also incorporate several architectural and instrumental innovations, UNESCO
listed Jantar Mantar as a world heritage center in 2010. There are eighteen main instruments including the largest sun dial in India – know as the "Samrat Yantra".

10 Hampi - Karnataka

The present day Hampi, located in the Bellary district of North
Karnataka quite extensive with its ancient temples and the royal
enclosures and ruins of a city, which was in the late 14th and early
15th centuries, one of the richest cities in the world. One of the main attractions of Hampi is the Vitthala temple. It is a sprawling complex with
intricately carved pillars and grand Mantapas.

This complex also houses the
stone chariot, which is considered as the epitome of the Vijayanagara art and
sculpture. Most of the constructions in Hampi happened during the Vijayanagara empire from the 13th to 15th century AD. All riches of the empire flowed into this capital city which made it one of the ancient architectural wonders. UNESCO
listed Hampi as a world heritage center in 1986.

The overview of Virupaksha temple

11 Hill Forts of Rajasthan - Group of UNESCO world heritage sites in India

Hill Forts of Rajasthan listed in UNESCO world heritage sites in India comprises of Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort , Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Amber Fort and Jaisalmer Fort located in the Northern Indian state of Rajasthan. Most of these forts are epitome of fine sandstone architecture.

Amber Fort - Jaipur

They were built by the Rajaput rulers in this
region. The construction period of these forts are from 8th to 18th
century AD.In 2013, UNESCO listed the hill forts of Rajasthan as a wold
heritage site declaring "The Hill Forts of Rajasthan exhibit an
important interchange of Princely
Rajput ideologies in fort planning, art and architecture from the early
medieval to late medieval period, within the varied physiographic and
cultural zones of Rajasthan."

Rani ki vav, or Ran-ki vav
(Queen’s step well) is situated at the town of Patan in Gujarat. Construction of this step well is not limited to the steps that are leading to the water, but also the intricately carved galleries and art work on four sides of it. It indeed have quite intriguing and mind boggling architecture.

Rani ki vav was built in the 11th century AD in the memory of Bhimdev I (AD 1022 to 1063) of Solanky dynasty. It has an intricate construction and beautiful carving featuring the Hindu Gods. Rani ki vav was completey flooded when the nearby Saraswati River overflowed in 1980s, it as the Archeological Survey of India that excavated this site.

This step well is constructed in Maru-Gurjara architectural style. UNESCO
listed Rani ki vav as a world heritage center in 2014, one of the latest additions.

14 Mountain railways of India

Mountain railways of India consists of three major lines. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway , Nilgiri Mountain Railways and the Kalka Shimla Railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is fondly called the "toy train", however it covers over 88km from Siliguri to Darjeeling and goes as high as 7500 feet on its route. This route was commissioned during the British time and has changed the lives of the mountain dwellers. The route opened around 1909-1910. Still it is operation and offers a breathtaking view to the travelers.

The Nilgiri mountain railway covers a total distance of 46km and connects Mettupalayam with the hill station of Udagamandalam. This mountain railway was also commisioned by British around 1908. The ride in the Nilgiri mountain railway is indeed a joy ride extending 4.8 hours to cover 46km. Kalka- Simla mountain railway connects the states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

The world's highest multi-arc gallery bridge and the world's longest tunnel is present in the way of Kalka-Simla highway. Mountain railways of India was declared as aUNESCO world heritage site in India in1999 for its contribution to the social and economic development of the otherwise unreachable mountain areas. They observed that this ingenious and bold engineering marvels have indeed changed the lives of people.

in 1988 UNESCO recognized the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks in Uttarakhand as a world heritage site. Nanda Devi national park also include the Nanda Devi peak, which is at an altitude of 7816 meters. Nanda Devi peak is the second highest in India. It also includes a number of other peaks.

Valley of flowers is a national park located in Uttarakhand state of India. During the starting the spring season, a wide variety of flowers blooms in the valley and it is heavenly! Valley of flowers located near to the small village named Ghangaria. The valley of flowers is a famous trekking spot as well as a bio diversity hot spot in the western Himalayan region.

UNESCO recognized the unique beauty of the valley of flowers and the diversity of the alpine flowers. These national parks also home to many animal like snow leopard, Himalayan musk deer and bharal(blue sheep).

16 Ellora caves

Ellora caves is a group of 34 cave temples located near Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. One of the most striking features of this temples is that, these temple belongs to three different religions - Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. These cave temples are carved out of the Charanandri hills located in the Deccan Plateau These temples are created by excavating the a basalt cliff. The buddhist caves with sculptures of sitting Buddha within the Chaityagruha (Prayer hall) is seen in the Southern area of the Ellora caves. The Jain cave temples are located on the northern face and contain the motifs of Mahaveera and Jain Theerthankaras.

The Hindu temples are the largest among the group and are located on the central part. The most intricate engineering marvel is the The Kailasanatha temple which is a huge temple dedicated to lord Shiva. This intricately carved temple of multiple levels was constructed by Rashtrakuta dynasty during 8th century AD(circa 756-773). The important Buddhist cave is the "Dasavatara" cave with large motifs and carvings. In the Jain caves one can find intricate roof carvings of water lilies. The most popular Jain cave is known as "Indra Sabha".

The construction of these temples of Ellora is believed to be done from 600 AD to 1000AD. UNESCO recognized the Ellora caves as a world heritage site in 1983. UNESCO have taken into consideration the engineering marvel of carving an entire rocky mountain to create such architectural marvels and also the spirit of tolerance conveyed by the co-existence of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

I've been to the Taj Mahal but I didn't know there were so many other wonderful Unesco World Heritage site in India. What a comprehensive list! Loved all the details. I now have so many places in India we need to visit.

Thanks for a rich list of sites and no surprise India's scenery and landscape is so diverse.I am surprised and I learnt about the "Our Lady church - Panaji, Goa" which looks so delicate in the photos, and I would be intersted to visit there and see it myself. @ www.knycxjourneying.com

This post is like perfect timing in my life! Im about to book a trip to India. It's on a group tour, but Im noticing that some of the places you've described or on my itinerary. Super excited! India looks incredible and so many UNESCO sites! wow

WOW! Taj Mahal has always been a part of my elementary classes but I've seemed to have forgotten to add it on my bucket list! Thank you so much for this post! And it's amazing that there are so many heritage sites in India! I should go there soon!! :)